Ikast’s confidence sees Danish side aim big

After finishing fourth in the 2020/21 season, Ikast climbed to the third place in the 2021/22 season and finally won the title, their third in the second-tier European competition, which has definitely put a target on Ikast’s back.

In the domestic league, they finished third in the last three seasons, behind giants Odense Håndbold and Team Esbjerg each time. But this summer has been a statement of intent, as they reinforced their squad tremendously with the MVP of the EHF Finals 2022, Markéta Jeřábková, and goalkeeper Filippa Idehn, two crucially experienced players who will mix well with the youth from Ikast’s squad.

While the pregnant Idehn will likely not feature before the start of 2024, Jeřábková will bring a lot to an ambitious team, which aims even higher this season – the fourth for Christensen on Ikast’s bench.

“These transfers will surely help us, the expectations are high, because there are experienced players coming to strengthen our squad. But we have players like Emma Friis, Sarah Iversen or Stine Skogrand, who have featured at the highest level for their national teams - Denmark and Norway,” Christensen says.

“Sure, they might have not played a lot in the Champions League so far, many of our players will make their debut in the competition, but they have experience.”

Ikast are full of ambitions to get back at the highest level, after they became the first Danish team to play in the EHF FINAL4 – in 2014, when they were featuring as FC Midtjylland.

“It is, of course, a challenge to play in the Champions League, but one I hope to benefit us in the long term. It will be totally different from the past seasons, the opponents will be even tougher and more experienced, but this experience will be amazing for us,” says Christensen.

The Danish side will undergo a baptism of fire in their comeback in the European premium competition for the first time in six seasons. They will feature in the Match of the Week in the first round of the group phase, when they take on three-time reigning champions Vipers Kristiansand.

The following matches will see Ikast take on Metz Handball and CS Rapid Bucuresti, hardly a walk in the park for a side which is still trying to gel and adapt to the hardships of such a tough competition.

“I am quite happy about the order of the matches. There is no good moment to face a team like Vipers, a team which won the Champions League in the past three seasons. But they have a new coach, many new players, therefore I am happy about facing them in the first match of the group,” says Christensen.

“We will try to be as good as we can, surely we need some time too, but I think everything will work out fine for us, as long as we play the way we aim to. This group is the toughest this season and that will be seen on the court in the next weeks and months, but I am confident in my team.”

But how far can Ikast go this season? Since the current format was introduced, no country had three teams playing in the group phase of the EHF Champions League Women. Now Denmark and Hungary each have three teams in the line-up, with Ikast also facing Danish champions Esbjerg in what projects to be very interesting duels.

The ambitions are big at Ikast. Anything but progressing to the knockout phase would be deemed a failure.

Yet Ikast feel like they are adequately equipped to undergo such a challenge.

“We are ready, we want to go there and play. And do some good matches, progress to the next phase,” Christensen says.

“This is our goal and I really think we can achieve it, because we have a good team, we have proven time and time again that we can play good.”

photos © Uros Hocevar / kolektiff